Friction rice-scouring process



Sept. 23, 1930.v F. E. BARBEE FKICTION RICE SCQURING PROCESS Filed April 9. 1928 Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES FRED E. BARBEE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA FBICTON RICE-SCOUR-ING PROCESS Application filed April 9,

This invention relates to rice cleaning, my main objects being to provide a process for treating rice for the removal of the bran by scouring the same With friction only, andby moved, but the germs or eyes as Well, and` if any paddy or yunhulled rice is present,

hulls will be removed also.

A further Objectis to provide a scouring process of such a nature as to avoid taking off any of the actual kernel beneath the bram frequently happens with the ordinary milling methods, and which will act With equal efficiency on all grains 'regardless of any irregularities therein 0r Adifference lin sizes thereof. j

These objects I accomplish by means such structure and relative arrangement parts as will fully appear by a perusal the following specification and claims. v

In the dravvingssimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe several views: l

Fig. l is a side elevation somewhat of diagrammatic form and foreshortened in height, showing the complete apparatus for carrying out my rice scouring process.

Figs. 2 9 are fragmentary sectional elevations of the different scouring trunks, arranged successively in these figures in the same order as thatin which they are disposed in the apparatus.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary cross section of a trunk showing an adjustable baiiie.

Essentially my rice treating process consists in subjecting the rice to the successive action of a number of stationary abrading units of successively decreasing effectiveness or roughness, and in providing for the rice to be thus acted on by reason of the Weight or friction of the rice itself against the abrad- 50 ing elements, Without the use of any mechanthe of of 1928. Serial No. 268,473.

ical pressure being employed Which would tend to cause the kernels or grains to be broken.

My improved process is carried out by means of the apparatus shown in the drawings and which Will now be particularly described. This apparatus comprises a num-V ber of vertical open-ended trunks l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 and which are preferably all of the same size and are of considerable length relative to their cross section area. The trunk l initially receives the rice to be scoured and has a hopper 9 on top to enable the rice to be fed into the same.

The lower ends of all the trunks discharge into aspirators 10 of common character to cause the chad and bran already loosened or separated from the rice by the passage of the same through the trunk above, to be removed from such rice before the same passes through the next trunk. The aspirators in turn discharge upon suitable elevators 11 Which lead to the upper ends of the adjacent trunks. It Will therefore be seen that the rice discharged into the first trunk will fall to the bottom of its oWn Weight, Will then be subjected to the chaff removing ac tion of the corresponding aspirator, Will be lifted to the trunk 2 and so on ina continuous and unbroken flow until the rice reaches the bottom* of the trunk 8, Where it is in af perfectly scoured and cleaned condition'and may then be sacked or further handled as may be necessary.

The trunks l to 8 are provided throughout their extent with linings la to 8a inclusive, Which are of emery of successive decreasing degrees of coarseness, such as from :#:16 in trunk l to #30 in trunk 8. AExtending across the trunks from top to bottom thereof in horizontal and vertically spaced and staggered relation are fixed cylinder baffles 12-19, inclusive, which are made of or are surfaced with emery of the same degree of coarseness as the corresponding linings of the trunks. The spacing'between all the baffles in each trunk is the same both vertically and horizontally, While the spacing between the baf iles in the different trunks decreases in regular or even order as the coarseness of the arrangement the trunks themselves areV preferably fourteen feet long and of about 96 square inches sectional area.

As a result of this arrangement, the rice deposited in the hopper 9 and then having the maximum bran and roughness of surface will drop of its own weight to the bottom of the trunk. During this movement the rice is subjected to a frictional abrasive action by reason of its contact with the rough baffles which are in its path of movement, as well as with the trunk lining. 'Ihe'coarseness of the baffles and linino` surfaces enOae'ed bv theI :o C o rough surfaces of the rice, tends to retard the movement of the rice through the trunk, so that the spacing between the baffles is proportioned to offset this retarding action. As the rice travels successively through the other trunks it becomes cleaner and consequently slicker and tends to move fast; and the spacing between the baflles is therefore successively decreased to offset this tendency to excessive speed. The different baffles roughness and the spacing therebetween are so proportioned relative to each other and to the condition of the surface of the rice traveling through the different trunks, that the rice will travel at practically the sante speed Vthrough all the trunks, and will therefore be subjected to the abrading action of the baffles for practically the same length of time in each trunk.

The aspirators between the different trunks insures that the bran .loosened or removed from the rice during its travel through any trunk will be definitely segregated from the rice before the same is conveyed to the next trunk7 so that nothing will be mixed with the rice at that time to interfere with the proper and subsequent scouring action.

Since the baffles if fixed would wear only on the top and sides, I preferably make them adjustable by securing them on spindles 21'), one end of which is threaded beyond one side of the trunk and has a locknut 2l thereon as shown in Fig. l0; the outer rends of the spindles being slotted for engagement with a screw driver.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device7 still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A process of cleaning rice consisting essentially in causing the rice to travel only of its own weight, against and past stationary abrasive surfaces to cause bran to be frictionally removed from the rice.

2. A process of cleaning rice consisting essentially in causing the rice of travel of its own weight, through a series of passage units each having abrading elements therein which are of different degrees of coarseness in the several units, providing for the conveying of the rice from'the bottom/of each unit to the top of another one and arranging for the speed of movement of the rice past the differentunits to' be maintained, substantially the same. j

. 3. A rice scouringv apparatus comprising a plurality of separated vertical trunks, abrad ing elements in the different trunks, the degrees of coarseness` differing in the several trunks, the rice being initially fed into the top of the trunk having the coarsest elements therein; andmeans for conveying the rice from the bottom Vof one trunk to the top of another in successive order with respect to the decrease of coarseness of the abrading elements. I

4. A rice scouring apparatus comprising a plurality of separated vertical trunks, abrading elements of different degrees of coarseness mounted in the trunks, said elements extending transversely throughout the length of the trunks in horizontally and vertically spa-ced and staggered order and the rice dropping through the trunks of its own weight,

' and the elements decreasing in coarseness and spacing in the different trunks.

5. A structure as in-claim 4; in which the trunks are lined with abrasive material of a coarseness corresponding to that of the respective elements. f

6. A rice scouring apparatus including a vertical trunk, cylindrical abrading members extending transversely in` the trunk, and means for rotatably adjusting the members. In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRED E. BARBEE.

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